VI, No. 34.---Whole No. 303.
otttg.
The Token of Hope.
" Haat thou hope ? they asked of John Knox,
when he lay 4-dying. He spoke nothing, but raised
his finger and pointed upwards and so &ed.—Car
lyle.
HAsT thou the hope of glory, which all thy
steps hath led,
Through many a hard encounter, to this thy
dying bed,—
Which nerve& thee in the conflict, which armed
thee far the fight,
And shone with steady star beam upon thy gloom
iest night t
Grim in his -diMp death-anguish, the stern .old
champion lay, -
And the .locks upon his pillow were floating thin
and gray;
And v10)1)1.3119 and voiceless, with quick and
laboring breath,
He waited for his ,oxit Algough life's dark portal
—Death 1
" Host thou the hope of glory? i! 'They bowed
to Osteh " .
Which, ; though ; some. languid token, might be
responsive still. .
Nor watched they long, nor waited for some ob
scure re ply—
He raised a sdny-oold Boger, and pointed to the
sky I
Thus the Death Angel found him, what time his
bow he bent,
To give the struggling spirit a sweet enfranchise
ment;
Thus the; Death Angel left him when life's firm
bonds were riven—
The cold, stark, stiffening finger still pointing
up to heaven 1
LESSONS OF WAIL
O. IV.
Tim crime Of liapriViktO tiOldiOr 3
11. Johnson, who on the 13th day of Decem-
ber, 1861, was shot to death for attempted.
desertion to the 'enemy, viewed along with
some parts of his donfession, casts light
upon One feature in the nature df sin, that
cannot be too well considered.
In this confession he said, " I had no in
tention of deserting, -until a few minutes be
fore I started in the direction.of the enemy's
linos. It .was an impulse of the moment. I
cannot now conceive what induced Me to take
this step,"
Minds accustomed to reflect upon their own
exercises, will see reason tolbelieve this.state
merit of the prisoner. sincere '
,and that. these
are the facts connected with the nioment of
his actual crime. • Yet, in the same confession
he says, "When I enlisted, I had a hope [a
criminal one no doubt] that, when the regi
ment marched Southirardi I should " .. la-re air
opperennitrof-visitlintiny friends in: the city
of New' OrientiVr
These statements are not inconsistent with
each other. • •• We lake their both to be-true;
and. together they amount •to this : That -the
act of deeertitairmis the ,fruit of a mind des
titute loyalty r and ,of a design , previously,
entertained, , if • ati opportunity should offer,
of becoming, a traitor to • his country ;• and
yet, that the actual crime at last toek r him,
m a Manner; by surprise ; that he co fitted
it almost withott his own consent; and that - ,
as he stated,.: he , u+t s =scarcely -condeiona of
what he was doing,. till he found his horse
carrying him, rapidly away, with his head
turned , toward the hostile camp.
This -story illustrates an important princi
ple of -morals. It is this Most of our ac
tion& that involve great guilt or imprudence,
result from a sudden impulse from within, of
which we can give-but a very indistinct account.
The actual departure from the path of rec
titude and safety is often p surprise to the
person who is guilty of it, as - well as to others,
and seems, in some sense, to have- taken
place without the immediate concurrence of
the will; and'yet it is the direct offspring , of
a mind prepared for it by the' absence, or the
gradual weakening of the-principles of virtue'
and the fear of God, and the Adoption of
wrong iobjects, which could not .be attained
by any but evil means.
The• feat that wrong widens sometimes fall
unexpected and unwelcome upon the author
of them, by no:meau.s lessens his -guilt, but
rather proves its, greatness by their violent
effects upon hitrisblf.' The fires of the voice,
no that have been gathering for many ages,
will burst in an - -instant from their profound
bed, and, at their own fierce signal, rend the
mountain side thathad nourished themovhieh
but a moment before; was resting in quiet
anti smiling with •its flower& , -
It is ono of the aspect* of , r3in which excel
in horror, that;it tioneeen4 in deformity and
power the estimate put upon, it by, the man
who plans and perpetrates it. Like some
nervous disease& of the body, it snatches him
from side to side, and impels him eimvulsively
whither he would' not go. - It carries chains
with it wherever it , enters, and dooms to in
stant captivity the man who opens to it his
door. Once having housed the wicked thought
he is master of his soul no_longer, and. he is
liable at any,momerit to anticipate himself in
the accomplishment the: revolting deed.
Men do not fall at once into the state of
.
mind implied in great and unusual crimes,
though into the - act 'itself, sli k we 'have seen,
they aret'often hurried 'by an3ndtant - and vi
olentirapulse from within. The goodness'of
the Creator has made men incapable , of such
quick transition from the region of virtue to
that of vice. , The approaches to, these are
gradual, like those to summer and winter,'
to day and night.. Virtue is a fortress, with
outposts and defences, and surrounded by
wall within wali; natural modesty, inmate
reverence and' fear stretching, fur aretuld it,.
like trenches antirfortifleations that deny all`
sudden and hostile approach.' To be guilty
in these cirCumstances, of; any remarkable
departure from its dictates, such .as often
stains the eharacter even-of the professed dis
ciple of Christ, is to do strange violence to
nature, and one must undergo a long prepa
ration before he can Make himself' capable of
it. He must diligently build a causeway for
it into his soul; and send out the`heralds of
wicked desire to invite it to enter and take
possession; but this done, he is often struck
with astonishment by its sudden arrival,, al, a
juncture and in a. shape he did not expect;
and he has only to shudder ever after Were
the horrid apparition, which" he -would fain
bid depart, and which, nevertheless, he can=
--Sarah It Browne.
not disown, for it is the very child of his
thought, the very image of himself. Men
are voluntary and sovereign in preparing
their hearts,'attd furnighing an opportunity
for sin, but ,their power over it extends no.
further ; at its own time and place it springs -
upon them like a leopard. They are its pa,
irons at the beginning, in the end its victims._:
They soothe it into vitality with tender in
dulgence and- delicate excitements, but pre
sently it opens its mouth upon them awe dra
gon, or hurries theta away like a war horse
plunging into battle.
What is here said of actions orifitinal and
sinful, is equally true of those that are merely
imprudent, and which we have-reason to're 7 -
gret. These, too, ,at times, come upon s us
unexpectedly. Often *hen we have done
something that involves tenkifest
exposes us to loss or reproach, we can dis
cover nothing in the state of our mind Mime-_
diately previous to the r event, to render its
occurrence probable. Perhaps, so far from
hating determined 'upon the action in ques
tion, we were recently on our guard against
it as a detirse it Appeared proper to avoid.,
But if we look further back, and take a wfder:
view of ourselveg, WO will, it may be, diSco
ver some ancient breach in our spirit Fli - eh wev
had- neglected to build up; some strong pray-,
tical habit of mind =we have Ebeen •carelesS to
form ; or, perhaps; some one of the_opposite.
kind which we have unwisely permitted to
gather strength ; and these have been lyin . 4
in liait in the back ground of our charieteri
watching for the vital moment when Whet is
most of value to us. is at stake, to 14611 thei;
tide, - break through every temporary harrier;
and in a moment overwhelm. us with ailliCtion
and.dismay. S. R. H.
—Banner of the Covenant. •
TILE CITY MISSION OF NEW BUNS-
WICK,. N,
Baying occasion to pass u Sabbath in New'
Brunswick, N. J., not' long'since, we were so
much interested in the Mission-work in that
city, projected and carried into, operation
within the last year, that we reqiiested the
Rev. Dr; Cresliy; the efficient Pastor of the
First Presbyterian; Church, who has done so
much in its behalf', to put us in possession of
the facts relating to it, being convinced that
just such a movement is practicible in all
our, cities and large towns where there is the
requisite energy iii the.pastors and Christian
people, and that it hi, as desirable as..practi
cable. It is vain to expect all people to
come. to the public services in our great
churches, or to come to any chnichea- at ;all;
unless we make suitable efforts to.draiv them
thither. There -are in all our 04168,44/ns,
villages, and rural districts,-individuals. and
families that, from.various causes, among
which, alas ! the most - conalnon and most de
plorable* is - tinclfre3tit6e -- co' 'the subject of
religion, that seldom; if- everotre seeti,intli4a
house of God. We &ay - build churches in
thelinmediate vicinity o'7 : such people, - but
they wilt not come to, them; , What then* is
to be done ? Clearly ;but one thing can be
done; the Gospel must:be carried to them in
a"-kind and winning way - . - Christian neigh 7
bor - s,'ministers, and memjieri of the'Churches;
may, and shouldd-Nisit them and speak judi
ciously and kindly ;to_ them; ~the tract dis.
tributor 'and Sabbath School teacher. May
visit
_them on their blessed errands. All this
is well, and ought to be done, and must be
dene. But there is nothing, like the little
neighborhood meetings, in the evenings, in
private houses in school houses, for reading
and expounding: Word of Gcd,'forp,praise
and prayer, conducted with life and spirit,
and with an abiding sense of the needof the
Divine bleising, to interest
_those who have
been indifferent. Good singing, the singing
of appropriate songs'of Zion, does; tench to
make such meetings attiactive. Everything
that is heavy and •and''dull ands tedious in-manner
should be avoided. - Meetings', -too,' in the
open ai44l:ten the weather permit; are
well calculated to.arrest the attention of the
careless.: Meetings in public halls, where
people are in the habitef assembling without
much attention to - dreei or ceremony, are
also productive of great - good., When properly
conducted-. But-let -us-see how they have
managed things at New,Antriswick.
The city of New Brunswick (N--LTA has /. 1
population of 11,000, of - which 8, - 51i0 'are
Protestants,' and 2,50fi Roman Catholics.
The-principal Protestan t. Churches are the
Dutch 'Reformed', Presbyterian, Methodist;
ppiseopal, and Baptist, 'Several of - whioh
have two congregations, and•one or twohave
three. 'The ministers of all are evangelical
and faithful men. This City is the?seat of
Rutgers' College, a college ,of more gum one
hundred students, that appertains to the
Dutch Reformed dharch t and also a Theo
logical 4eteinary, with;s,oMe fifty or s4ty,
atuderi6 tliat bel i ongsto the same bedy---
The City Mission was commenced some
ten months ago. It is under the manage
ment of a Board, that consists of the pastors
and two members of each of the several
evangelical Churches. The Board were so
fortunate at the outset as to secure the serL
vices of the - Rev: John Lyle as their rais:
sionary—an'exeellent servant of the tord;
who had 'labored as one of Dr. Chalmers
missionaries in the city of Edinburgh, and
who has prosecuted the work in his new field
with zeal and success. His salary is $6OO
per
. annum, and the other expenses: will
probably'be $lOO more, making the entire
cost' reach the figure of STOO, which 'is
raised by individual subscriptions and collec
tions in the churches.
Let it be, understood that all the evangeli-
Oai °hutches haVe not 'only their Public ser
vices, in the. Sanctuary' on the Sabbath,
but also their " lectures' and "prayer meet,
etc;., during the week, and their Sab
bath .Schoolsin , their lecture rooms or church
edifices; and thit the work of the' City Mis
sion is among the "outlying" population,
that seldom or never frequent the services,
whether on the Sabbath or'during the week,
of these evangelical Churches.
At the very commencement the Board
very properly •adopted .tbe territorial or dis
trict arrangement for their work, and not the
congregation,al, as being simple and satiSfac
tory. Dividing the city into seven , districts,
according to certain convenient landmarks,
(streets,•river, etc.,) the missionary 'soon gave
great system to his labors.
in the first place, his arranged Seven
weekly Prayer-meetings, (one in each dis
lrict,) all of them itinerating on a fixed plan,
PHILADELPILIA . Tll 1,3' U)" •T RIL: 9 4. -1 . 191g9,..
• • • r • .... •
- .AP_, ;. ,
conducted by a-superintendent and otliers
whom he invites to aid him, attended-.by
from twenty-five to sixty and limited
ordinarily to an hour. There iS no, difficulty
in finding worthy families in every district.
that will very cheerfully open :their hoUses
'to these prayer-meetings, in their taitn, and
e*ert themselves much to gather in their
neighbors. These weekly prayer-meetings
are held at night. •
In the second place; there are four Sab
bath-Schools, having on , theiii•olls.from
to 380 children, and an average , attendance
cif •some 280. The:teachers are pious ladies
of - the Churches,,students .of • the: Seminary
and College,, and other young men.,
In -- the t4i7-d place, there are each Sabbath
evening four preaching services, conducted
by the missionary,, and by ministers, students,
or gifted church members. Thege services
for preaching; 'or reading and expounding,
the Scriptures; are
~.held in the'most spikitu:s
ally destitute portiens or the tit:rand' its
vicinity.
In the fourth place, theini§sionari,nsually -
N;isits 400 families 'everY nrenth; minding
the sick who ilesiie 4o bee him.
lithe fifth piece at - least ;four visitors in
each district---fernales, teachers in the Mis
sion Sabbath 'Schools, co-operate with the
missionary in looking after the, yopeg and
indigent. Their presence in the district from
time 'to ,tine' exerts a good influence.
Through their efforts and those the'rniel
sionary; cases 'of suffering- and wan are
,
brought-before the proper 'associations of the
city, and the needed relief secured..:
lii tlie . ..sixth, Place, about '5OO religions
tracts are judiciously: distributed every
month; and anany pod books are sold-by, the
missionary. There are also Evening Schools:
in -operation, in which the pupils are taught
the elements' of a:good education.
In the later, spring,sumnier qncl early
autumn, when the weather ; perniits, there is,
"open-air preaching 7. at i convenient plaC . es,
conducted by the missionary kidsither
'tors of the Gospel. These - meetings have
been well attended and,greatly useful, it''is
believed. -• r - - •
The influence of the' City Mission is'happy:
in many ways... -Mtns , children who formerly:
strolled about the streets On the,Lord's day,
are now attending..the_Sabbath, School, and
their parents; the churches ..or Orservices in
the evening, at'the Mission Stations. There
is ceaseless
,upward , movement from the
Miseion,,tation to the Church. and if there
bunat a zimilar 'movement from the Mission
Sabbath School to the, Church- , Sabba:th
School, it may be aceounted for by tliuexCei
lentletiehing of 'the students in 'the former,:
andper,haps also in part by the that' the
proiirlyzdressed children-feel more at homein
the-plain. Mission , Sabbath" School than they'
would in the Church-Sabbath School, whirl
is-:usually <attendecl •by, the ;children. , t of the
classes that are in more easy cirCumstances-..
%Cent' of. theliniStt -imiporttintpintiftereies
of the,- Oity , Missihn in New .Brunswick
mains to. ; be,stated. 'lt, is this 'the mis
sionary' has visited every family in the place,
following the order of streets and Wards;aid
ascertained the position of each inregard to
religious convictions, preferences, habits, etc.
This work has demanded' great. prudence,
courtesy, kindness, and patienee`; but he.has
seldom MO. with, - Serious difficultY. This
visitation has made him acquainted. " with
many interesting details, some of them very
painfully interesting.- Of course, he. has
learned things which ought not,. to be 'pub
lished, but ihiCh may be exceedingly useful
to the - pastors and officers of the churches,
and serve to guide them. in their official
labors. Let tis shoW . the - completeness of his
exploration or moral " excavation,'.'by giving
an . extract from a report with which he - bas
been kind enough to furnish us. It will give
a, good idea of the thorough manner in which
this portion of his work has
_been done, and
of theiniportance of the inforniaion obtained
to, paStors and Sabbath School teachers.'
"In one Short street there are 64 ,families,
_
of which 17 are Roman Catholic. In th
TrProtestant Wallies there are 180 penis;
92 Children; of whom 35 attend. Sabbath
Schools ; 20 families attend the= house- of
God regularly; and in these are' 32 church
members,;.'lo families observe family- wor,
ship ; and seldoin,or never,
,enter any
"The religious denomination ofeach
family being . recerded by, the missionary,
the responsibility of the respective churches
is fixed' down, and the return' Of - cases`
being stateiny inaee to' the resPective" pas
tors, a reliable b'aiis :of operations 'is thus
Presented to them, for exercising thoilifts
and graces of their chuff ch 7 merabers in their
labors ,pf love for soils, -and zeal -for 'the
glory of Eitinanuel.!!
. _
We might state many other facts-respect
ing the City Mission of New Brunswick if
We -- ri l l' -net fear 'make is" stiiteinctit too
long. This good Work commenced' ICas than
ti, year ago, and already its blessed influences
are manifold and apparent. Why may not
similar efforts be made in all 'our. --large
tow= ? gave we not heathen at our - door,
who Are perishing through our culpable in
difference and inattention to their condition-?
And shall we not haie to answer for this ?
We send the Gitiefel VS" the - heathen abroad ;
this is well, it is our duty. 'But ought we
not to see to• it, that those Who are our
neighbors,,? whom we meet. every day in the
streets, be made acquainted with ,the. Gospel ?
We may depend on it, the earnest and faith
ful prosboution of this home missionary- work
would, greatly.auginent the life and happi T
ness of our chuiches.-07tristian
DIE IN PEACE. -A Colonel of one of the
Pennsylvania regiments was - lately present
at the Boston prayer-meeting. Ile said that
he was in the battle of Ball's Bluff; one of
his "men was shot, .He dismounted a nd : m
braced the dying man, and ifiked him if he
had any message' to send to his friends ?
" Colonel, tell.the Sabbath - school that I die
in peace." The lessons that he learned in
the Sabbath school,. amid the noise and con
fusion of the battle=field , did not forsake him.-
"I die in i)eace;" were/his last :words.
To say, I will not come to Christ because
I have great sins, is 'as if one: should say, I
will never hive anything , to do with happi
ness if offered, because I have great misery;
I will go to no chirargeon, because my-pround
is' Sb'great I will eat no bread, bccause
am so exceeding hungry. . ,
THE DEiT.4 WI, Baintiv anviziso
- -. DAN A.n.
* Vre, ll lm - iii A.D. /85. •
./171 Avis attacked viia severe *amity of
frequent...abort breathing, yet Without . ' pain
aboutlive weeks before..Easter-D ! ;y/ =and 86
he cOntinued, ;Joyful: and glad, and , Jkivini
thanks to - Almighty er . day.. and 'night, 111:•'-
d9ed , 110 .urlY,:till th e , 4 of ; Scension. -- KC
‘
ti to-wkt• jpgirka r meu day 4:
and he employed 111"lia4 umained - of the day.
in singing psabua.. . i rughis .hcpassed:
*thent sleep,' yOrajolil ..,, aid giiingliaiika;.,
*daily When 'ii: 'tittle:- lidiitialv 4iteiik , niid:'
.When-he waked; l*` -- i '.r , 'S'aqiiii'acciuston4of
avotiOns,' aad; 'witt e. ', andel --hands,: rier
ceased returning that to'Gtod; Indeed,"-1 1
never saw .with :illy ITO ; nor heard _with any/
ears, any one:: so : diligent in lik grateful: do
-vOtienee Pt trek' I* ed ma. n!T Ho -eang:
tlik pas e. in -St. Pa ; 1,,," It is .s., feargui„
.tliiiigje,f4-mtcitt.e.lie ef,ttle,JiriniflGio,d;:,
and many other thii4gii. f *,.-00 Bilrjaiir -,,,,- '
i
in'which he ' adilleniSh up tO- aiinuiefiopi .
thesteei of the . ninth. Pi ash - recited admei
thiii , ig in our E'iveible
. .birigi , fite_; for lie Wei
very leained...in , ooris6433- and, putting-hiii
thoughts intor..Bng_lish ;Terse ; 'he Spoke it:with.
c o m p ule ti o w... 1 . : Ilor, this. necessaryjonrriey,
no one ealk.k.Tiler. Pr _act than be ought
to be—to think • Work 's going hange,,,,what.
of good qr . iivirlip ~spif , agte.r , death, wig be
judged worthy
. c . it'r. , . : , . -
l e
sang; the , i 2.2. - 1 4:,- , :.,..- ~. . .. -
He saag,the Antipli t , . 'aecording to our .
custom and his. own, o which. one is,,'" Oh, .
IC.ing - of 'lgloill'lliird . ^ tie; leave' nii. not
orphans; butt send the &Wee of. Vid.t.Fiether,;
thtiSpitit of thitliziponNia.. - AlloluiLy- ( When
he:came te.the wOrdiVOSphit uf truth,' he
burst into teal's, and wiipl'ilittchyalid: we-with,
him. We read and we , t 4g/tin i'indecd, , ,ite
klw.a):Blett*ittit.egfiN . ter Illentionfugigkit
helWal 09 0 44 1 4 -ns.hiiißg.4 Jo)i'r 3 .
• qoalli.4,inoStßep,bi 'pupil addb ,', When. ,
he retie to - the'third'f-'stival before; the As-,
Ceiisfon'l)4, his brew'tilfg"begkit r ia.fielfty'
; itrongfraffeclikt., , '.. little swelling' ap
peared in his feet' -- A 'teat day :he dictated-
oheeiftdly, and seratiies said among; other
thinga, ! Make -halite; .lAnow not: how long I
.shalblast.,- My'eMaket). may take me. away
very soon.' :4 .ssmolik,to:us that -he. knew„
very _well he was near_qiis. end. Ile pas i red
the l night watching luidliving thank*. 9._:en i
die .morniAg.'c'laWned,, he . commanded - its to,
write' diligently igt vie had beguN,' Thia:
tieing done , we 'WitHiltill: the third hour'
with the relics of ilia" 2 ta; ae'the custom of
the day iequired..! ilki'of vs was with him,
whd said,•. ',There ii ,y4.l)elinicylmaster r bne-,
chapter Vantingirmilltflt not: b:elunpleasent,
1.9.Y0u _to_ be. 1404 -56naisuore. questions ? '!,
AI. Raweieft ...9kiat,k va1.A4e;7,45-rn ,
;prepareit,- and - write w ith . speed:. -, He did:
so: At the ninth liour!le said iix 4. 4 "1.
have some valuables in .my little chest." - Hut
ion run_itnielilY and biting thefliastiyteis 'of
our nion'asterf to nie, tat Lb - fay difitribide ,
my , small presente;'Lllkeladdresied .each, and:
extnirteii-tiseaneirtataluiesuasmil
prayers.: _They wept ndie told the they
would see him . no *ore; but he eaid, It was.
time that he shon. l 4,restrirn to. the',..BOß; who
had formed liiralout of nething., 7, He conver
sed in thiinianner cheerfully, till' the even =:
big; iiiheli the bey Said, " lYea•Piniiiter, One'
sentence is stilt wariOng.7 "Wiite'it !leek
ly," exclairned'Beda: , -;•Whenit wastinished,
he said, "'take' niy %ilia; in your -hinds; 'kir I
shall delight fa' sielopposite .the hely _place
*here I.liave.beente4custottied to pray; and
where I caninvake• my Father."; ,:.When: .l -,
was placed on the: *moment, he repaterthe
qloria Patri; and expired in the e ffort.
BAITIZED 111174H1T `REGENERATED:
" WELL, Cato, wliafground.lhave you . for
believing yourself a true Christian ?" said a
minister one . day:to am WA __colored man,
whose life was .ncti* l bar)nony,iyigii his.Fo
fession.
BPeli.rapOzed:massi,'!„.nplid tido,
placing a marked empbasii.gifilie:iiord bap-
• T "tried to Cato
that mere could not Make' hint •a'
Ohiristitin. • egto•wiis stubtorivon that: point;
for; h shad been taught that:ithe. Witter , of
baptism &Mailed the-heart; of,,its -,stafulnesir.•
He beliexed is ba,ptisma,l regeneration. _ The
poor fellollinelt2iotliing of.,the . work of the
Holy Spirit the`heart.
'Just then ii . lie.'"Ppy 9l tholijhtSikOtt4lriin=
mind. 2.4 led • • atO • ined - his study,
took an OptY;inlatittli!' from shelf, and
holding it up,' isaid:*;.- • • •
" •oato,taci your suppose 'deem thii
bottle by washing the outside with-Witerr. ,
; you must vash.de ton i
if- you would have : him olelin t " .04to with
a grin of selftappreval..- , • • .
Very golid,.
ter; ." now do yoksupre that Witter appli4
to the outside oftholo of-a mao cleanse
tiiii'frfkii! Ms' Yiethrrihrot Is within him 1"
i . seeit riceoc - -*ses; ksee it," said OatO,
plaoinehiltfand•44on his air Ow. c' My heart
beelike de 'inside 441W:bottle.: • •Biptisin no
cleanse de insid•y rse, will seek de,power
of deHdyzElpivitito raskO•my• heart clean in
.
side.". ,• . . ,
,
Thus .by*PO:a alr old ink-bottle, did
worthyfiiie nqmster overibroii Cao's faith
in the . thigrna of baptismal regeneration, and
led. fthil to seek ti at'inNiajAivithikg - of which
baptism is ordy - the•SYnibol.
-Reade'r, are you like ari inal-bittdelwashed
on die" outlide. onCy? Have 'you; like Cato,
stbititnted-the form for the apirit.of religion 2:
If. so, I commend you to the prayerfat : study:
of
,the, true Illy of ~salvation, as . described
lon A ge ; in ;the, following apostolic, wpFdis
'br - work . , .of ,iigbtecusnesi ` inch we
have done,, but aecerdiikk
' to ie'meroy lie
saved` us, by the /mating of regeneration and
renewing of the
_Holy, qho A ,..yriii s hvite shed
on us abundantly through him °Wrist our
Saviour that lyupg justified tbylifs
inade.'heifs -ac Cording to. the
hope of eternal liffir."--
,
WHAT. high . to'be
' inclined,
to sin , because God is malted to pardon.;
. •
to have a frozen heirtip iiinni . peoanse he
hath a reelting2leaft to thee ?
. .
) 4 10R.I;DLY concerns may quarter in _our
thoughts"; bnt they Mupt..not. in
all the
room, and thrust Christ again the manger.
Christ's riglitemsness only is our wedding
garment—our graces are but fringes;
Colt? • 101 . .1.:° , ;:f.11. , / G7l: ri ;,,t•VIF Vila. 'Cr
• TIIE , BBNEFIT.IOI I THE-OLERIFfiI
THE . honor :granted by•nuribarbarons fore : '
fathers to the self-denying missionaries . who:
carried the blessings ; the
,Gespel tofth*
woods and :was 119t?l:1411*d. to,tiheA,
successors- :The life,. liberty, ,cl2l*l,i ;OA, /
property .of Goes ambas sad ors were sacre d_
'turn:jell !
,
and cronfthrierichf thri . datilnigid; - Wlien"a
!:•f• :batbile - -• bold :adrainisteredLeWbrd
their 'pleasure to who - vi :4 weaker Alien* ,
they,.:the clerto.al - dnefehjoyed any rliber y: a
Protected; by the tespeotdrie,ta'theirof f icey)
VXl l , o Y,.tilg otediveet.N.l lo
neither - God not, r man„ they
_nobly stood: 'p
!thepatiOns.-Of opprefm#4, who, r
' Si di iiigmEe reifecfred to their b rtier"
coiditiegliiiiiiiinieeif en t hid - oath to Ore'
the i ? bodily piughlithinit-f aridlifhe brokelliisr
gith'hetwae excommunicated.' • Wohlilisio
ipear,laisb ; that:Maurine bya4nietit inyeistedi
the-married * woman with. rribrottectidmeffrAMer
Pergal ;,foralve r,ead:gieander ppf:l9o) , of
a man and : zaa4;servants of a cruel xiwster,,
who, haying been married. by l e
.and,
defaunded hy,the master ;. the"priest _ opfired.
and 'obtained hie proinfte , • net to separate'
'theirs ;•Whieli`pitinide hoffulfdledl4 ca ca using'
thin to be biiried nelitiest,
hoWever; hastened to the place tad: dug them i
*pill:time to:save the man, but - the woman
was already suffocated.: For .their more-ef
, fectual protection, ; many were. .re.ceived-.as,
linOnks; the inenastip principle : recognizing ;
they universathrotherhood Oman and redder
ing harem, Or . kinge to . tht le vel of 'sinners
seeking pardo n by the same cross, prayers '.
and Sometimes; alsd,:
bishops gaiildidituitioii idislaves without; reL - -
leasing them 'from -bciiidage ; and -these cla-'
ricalslaies were generally considered' sacred •
from. corporal JpruitglimOrit - ;Their. •number;
becartkesd. rest that Alec Eineiatur.l;Charles
wee,obliett,teipie a :decree - , forKddip,g - the
monasteries ,to - receive monis,. in, this way; ,
letit there might-not be enougb.of labcrers.v..
cultivate 'the:land; andat chnitliisiezribly;
at Afx, a .itesOltitio r n was made"agairillt .
eXclieive adeptiOn'ofland-inen into the PW
ritual'hitler “hofviigh ' a clause wita.eliPtatistf
inserted to'
. guird-egainst the-'notion that
these' men 'w ere .tohe donsidered--;unworthy,::
on account of ,their descent, rir, aitAf the
dignity of men and ,Christians waSAlßt3o:bei
1 '0 0 4 11 0,4 in all .FtiP ll . 4 1an9R1
laW became, ,tht z genefal. basis of jurießru : - . ,
dence, the Aiwa, wire recognized, as
.siing
AgegianCe 'first *to 'the Pope' and :se, (Wild*
eWearfroin.the beroxi's court to the bildlOpei'
eiltr• Rome, where - tliiiy• were tki , reo
delve a more lenient: treatment. ; This , right
of appeal- was called . t' The Benefitijot the/
Clergy,',',:and-a! it was in :thoie.)
.4aYs•.l l l4,how. terascer.tain the olerroal
renter af ; ,tlie-wandering monk or ,cluidure,
appealedalaed to Rome, Was a _Rractical.
question' or•sonte inomertr;'forai,inyl poor:
fello~p with the soomlge.oi the racklin ynoit;
Yviderb i e* - -
•for , the :occasion,' in . ...to declare that 'hi waif
`ordained, perhaps in his native land; perhaps;
by , some deceased bishop, and possibly might
have ‘'documents to show, which the sword.
man r who was judge and jury and bar on the
oocasion,,might be unable to read; for the
schoolmaster was not abroad in those days.,
But the priest must be able to read mass.at
least, and there must be a copy of the missal
or of the fear erospels in court to 'swear the , '
witnesses upon, and a ready test' of the real- -
itY of the clerical character, would be furnish
ed, by putting the book into the hands of the
slave, ..and if he could read, it was a fair pre-',
eumption that he belonged to the clergy, and.
that. it would not be safe to torture,hiro.,,For,
some :very grievous crimes, 'however ) , the- act,
of ,Pailjaraent provides " death without ,the
benefit of the clergy." In all other cases,
the Serf who could read enjoyed the blessings
of threigh his appeal to Rome.
Ott Ameriean barons 'have not in due
form' of law =recognized the7;tenefit-, cf the
clergy, but by a.native instinct they feelthe
danger to their• claims of .that elevation of
character.. produced by knowledge; which
was•often all . the , true benefit: ef ; the clergy
of ! ; the. dark ages..
.They have = aceordingly
:forbidden the slaves to : learn to read, and
forbidden,bishops and monks, teachlhem..
diktinotly the
.linen of *a,'Acilerod
Sabbath Sehoolln i Atnericeix city, Where'
five hundred':Christian children were being
taught to memorize Scriptural questions and
answers, but where it was forbidden to teach
them, to.: read . , and the -puzzled
PPYRltPlince,ef. : mission a ry fromindia.who .
had, Ought, twelve . hund44 . heathentlinidoos :
to read„WithinitznolestgiOn; when informed,
that he yOuiri be lodged' in jail Tor' *a, year if
he `dared 'to teach One of these 4.inerican
children to read, .aiid that lady was , then
lying iitjaii in 'Virginia for - that offence.
He had not anticipated ireirelling•into , the
darklageis when he•isailedlior AMericav .117
......iten_eral :Burnside. has; 'however; at-:'last
passed the act. giving the slaves the benefit
of the clergy, and fifty teachers, bearing the:
spelling book are on, their way tocrdain and,
consecrate. to God and liberty, by , " the sacred
and' ind'eatriictible :Unction ~or
thousands' Of 'the . clergy of the
Before me lies the sacred volime of 82'
pages,, resplendent - in gold - and: crimson
caliercalid'attraitive thTietiefelf Of !woolly
headed:pickaiiiiiiiies et 'school. *Ol. 'rather: .
it did lie - before •Me-a moment - ago, but a
littroblrie-eyed thrde years :old; student 'has .
seised it, ,and her, shouts of , : delight ~ have'.
gather.ed„qnfte presbytery of, her order,
and_ s ..The coptrabamraßook " eeenbe.-
!tlqiently 'perused .by a "delighted set
.0'
fairer -s fi n ned children than 'it was designed,
•fOr: It, is The FirSt Lessen BoOlc4mblished
for 'the .instruction of the Centrabande by the'
American Tract Ilinliety, Boston, , witlionV
waiting for:thereptal-of the lairs of Caroline'
or. Virginia on the subjeht. Verily, thiSon
is rieing,even• over .the Western Continent at
last. Moreover, here a packet of small
quarto . tractsiin large type and easy words,
for, eginners, young or old, well illustrated
with'pictures;, and which the accompanying
tract _circular alleges are designed for the'
Ole 'of contrabands, by the American •Tract:
Society, 'Nassau street, New York. Whit
is the world coming to? We need not be
surprised if Bishop. Hughes should send out
Bible 'Oolptortetirs next week. It would not
be more antagonistic to his oath of allegiance
Ad.the Pope than the teaching of slaves - to
read is to the fundamental maxim :of, that
society, to publish hotlang_whiCh is not Cal--
&dated to meet the approbation of all evan
gelical 'Christians. 'The Lord has given the
11 >;...i
rEMIM WI
Wortl," , and now Jet ts.see how great the corn-
pally- of those who puhrlPhrit. .Thei morning
Liawn. As breaking, at last Hail, Sun. of
Righteousness ! Light of the world.!. Arise
with healing on thy wings)..; Ye shall know
the. frOli, and'` the 'truth - shall make l you
•:- . --Beinnial of elk "Croveitant.
:A. _ iiiiiNIGMTMEETING 'txt tiorowT.
stein' Midnight" meetingqii addition to
that noticed In :my last , Oommunicatien.L . Wai
held at ihnllilestbne;Hall; near the Angel,
Islington. The writer liaving,-been present
aid talon _; past 44- ,Plio.c.eediAg, Vall4estify
theto
. 4 6 1; 1 .0PFesslf?li mP4ePll.V l , 'ol3 Presentj
:who crowded the hall to the doors. The fol
lowing is,atinntlii4Ofeiddiefaz- 7 ,perhaps
it may fUrhish soma - stiggestions to those who
eitE orrciiiiieifarkihekint to
The speaker commenced , -by referring to
Of. aiDtVitififtWes- (from .Luke ?m.)
lOn. an'. been i• and shOW - tilial -the
followers: of Christ were, by these midnight'
Meting' s, trYing to act a aa - the Saviour did,
who, i‘rebeived sinners and ate iiitlfthem,"
not to encourage them in'their sins, but to
reclaim, restore, and save in Christ 'forever.
He then pointedly, yet kindly, dealt with the
consciences of his audience, proceeding. after
wards to show them that they, in their
present condition, had neither " friends" nor
"hoines." Would they call that Man a.
friend, who spoke as a friend and a lover but
to betray, and iho -
" Smiles and smiles, and is a villain?"
Or could they for : a moment consider as
" homes" those houses of evp. fame, whose
proprietors sent them forth• to ensnare, pol
lute and destroy without, a spark of cOmpas
sion for them, but sheltered them only as long,
as Served their purposes; for base and
sordid gain. I don't - want to speak harshly,"
Said the speaker; woe 6 hint your feelings ;
bit.yon knov6mY friends, that these are-not
' friends,' that you, are mere bondslaves, and
that the clothes you wear are not your, own?
What has 'vile passion in-common • with *the
pure and guileless love of two young hearts
drawn together ? What home is ,there in
the haunts of wickedness ?' " He then pro
ceeded:to speak to globe of his audience who
hid enjoyed the blessings of "a home in child
hood; and painted, in words which produced
thnatrongest emotion, the misery brought by
their,- . misconduct on -parents---especially
mothers; He. then spoke encouragingly to
the desponding told them there was hope
for them- even
ib in this world--,that • the Re-
, ,
decel- was able, wining, and waiting to save
them, - even as lie had saved the woman that,
was sinner. Let them now give the,mselves
to' Christ to save them, trusting in Him as
their , sacrifice, and: then :pardoned and
cleansed, they Would:aeon find that-" Jesus
is.' the throne ;of-: Providence." :;here the.
speaker narrated. the happy :results. of -the
midnight movement, indicating, in town and
- yep i ycjin t ,f,e,,werjbao3,S_
rescued, and gave particulars as to iihat had
been done for them - --aome having been
" married,"- ethers " restored • to friends,"
other's "reConciled theirlifsbands ;" some
had ";emigrated," Seine gone - to "service;"
and others- were- now, in "liomes." - And
after. detailing the case of a. poor girl, who
had, been: sent- Ivy binksplf to a "Home,''and
was now a new , creature and providefor,
he appealed to all present to avail themselves
,
at once of the golden opportunity 3101 V
offered to escape, from ruin, teniporal and
eternal.
.
Previous to' the dismissal of the meeting,
it was announced' that, if any chose, they
could remain .for further advice frOm the
ladies and gentlemen preient. Of =this offer
many, availed -themselves. Real ,gdod is
always accomplished where , this plan is
adopted—not forgetting previous kindly con 7
versation, and kindly appeals at the tea
tablei before the address. On this occasion
several detexininea tr atence to abandon.their
: wretched and evil 'ooti,,rses;- - and twit' day
several wereTeceived-into " Homes." There
Was one most 'affecting case (where other
shelter.-could 'not be supplied) of a 'poor
woman; who had long been in Satan's ser
vice, who seemed filled with penitential.sad-,
ness, and has-the deepest anxiety about her
eternal interests, and who willingly con
sented to go into the 'Union for p, time.
This be it .romenibeied "wiis the
midnight meeting held Within 4." period of two
years: Two similar meetings also be'
convened by the promoters of the movemmiti
during each month in the present year.
While some havemocked,r and, others—even
professors,-, have doubted or stood coldly bY;
:God has set the seal pf his.approbationupou
the Christ-like enterprise. Why- should-not
sindlar efforts be made in strong faith and
in: tender com Passion in every large town in
the kiugdoin, as well as iii the colonies ..and
in America? Ohriitiart,s come` to the rescue.
Throvvra bridge 'over that gulf hitherto im
passable, that lost ones may be restored to
society, , to. home, to. Christ,. to heaven I—Bev.
Dr. 'Weir, correspondent of the British
sang". ,
ARE we mourning our hardness of heart--
our inability to mount on the wings of evo
tion with warmth' and urgency of desire ? Do
we seem Se celd and dead, that we are ready
to write " bitter things" against ourselves,
•and, conclude . that.we know nothing of the
Christian's life ? In one of his letters, writ:.
ten in , answer to a friend who was in this state
of: darkness, and doubt as to his Christian
hoip, Samuel Rutherford says : " Hold on in
feeling and bewailing your hardness ; for that
.is softness te feel `hardness." And again,
"Oh," say ye, "I cannot pray ?" Ansiver,
" Honest sighing is faith breathing Him in
the year , ; the -'life is not out of faith when
there is sighing,' looking up with the eyes ?
And breathing toward :God." "Hide not
thine ear at my breathing", (Lam. viii. 56)
Qh, comforting assurance—" that is softness
to feel hardness."
* 4
Fellow-Christian dost thou bemoan thy
hardness of heart ? Does it seem inipossible
to raise one warm desire to heaven? Do thy
sins raise a wall around thee ? above which it
seems hopeless for- thy-tweak faith - to attempt
to mount? Art thou- almost in despair con
cerning thyself?.Remember ".it is softness
to feet hardness P"
,Once-it was not so, with
thee. Once thy, lack of faith troubled thee
little. Thou avast- blind,, and knew it not.;,
poor, but felt it not; ignorant, but cared not
for light ; sinful, but was not tioubled. ;at tl
,:l. ; C-: --,..:: :i . GatUt 4 ',--SVANG:t.T.L.4.tifolel"..:N6:3l._
Er!NEl=l
INEMBE
A .I"4ItADOL
thoirgg — neither of heir
ing. The last - thirgitimit vo il'dat thought
of doing,, would haveSeentomouru Dver.thy
hardness of heart' Now, thy hardness of
heart is thy chief :Livable. :Art thou not dif-'
ferent from What thitui once - usti- Remora-,
ber i it betokenethlOftness -of heart to feel
and bewail thy thardriess of heart; How
knew est tthou that tboudhadst- a: hard: ?
trilly ) - 041 y through. G94l4.o4ce:touching,
411 1 -4 , 94 f 1 4r, togAtattthel fife
not OUt of fa-i-when therejs ighing 100
k
ng Wy,b:tt eyes,. and hrea4gtovard -
Still'there is a liiore - eleellent , :-Way You
eirmot;diatiikef tiurself too ranch; but you
niay-trust' Christ-too Tittle. Pliss toward the
inark4-45okink 'ever Lunt° Jesus---and .the joy
of the , Lord. Will be..;lyour istrength.--BritiSh.
Messenger -1
4Foritlai-Amaiitan:Prishyterian4:- t.'
'` "ttg IeTtERAL - •.•
ht eft 1310: 10 1- 'x .1 ri
A!. PEW days after; I reached :the regiment
to -which I had been commissioned as chap
lain, I 'was sittingi. in'tny tent enjoying the
calm and bright afternoon„ when my-at:ten
-Um' was attractedby- themproaph of, a small
squad of soldiers slowfy , following a One-horse
wagon. Soon the med- drum and the
‘i Dead M muffed.
arch" told nie was a soldier'S Su
neral. Onward they eanie from the fort,
wending their Way with solemn tread past our
camp to the soldier's graveyard, a quarter of
a mile-beyond: I put on my -cap, and join
ing the procession, , followed . a silent but
sincere mourner..:: We soon : reached the spot
selected for interment—a spot already - dear
to many loved ones at hinne. The body was en
closed in a rough pine coffin, two' soldiers—
his companions in arms and members of the
same mess, were detailed to dig the grave.
It'was soon done, 'forsat the depth offthree
feet; water rushed in so fast, that they had to
desist.: Carefully and soleninly the box was
lowered, and we stood with uncovered heads
to hear the remarks and prayer of the chaplain.
There was one among the little band I noticed
particularly. It .was a young man
-about
eighteen years old, flow he did. Weep ! With
no handkerchief to wipe those bronzed - cheeks,
he poured out his grief in effusions of tears.
It was a son of ihe deceased, who had enlisted
in the same company with his father, had
fought side by side with him, had seen him
stricken by disease; and had now come to lay
him with the dead in a strange and, desolate
land. Who can tell what thoughts of hoine,
and. of a father, crowded -upon that young
man? What pen can describe his feelings
He took his last look and bade his last adieu,
in
,all probability, - until the resurrection
morn. I cannot tell with what feelings of
sorrow I =looked upon that scene, until .I
heard the chaplain pronounce one of the
highest eulogies a soldier
,can possibly-re
ceive—" Se was a good and;brave soldier;
beloved by his companions, ana honored. as . a
Christian by all who knew him." Oh, 'what
light seemed to - enianate.4rom. that grave.
What a' glory crowned that --sealided spot.
Blessed be God, I turned away With a-joyful
heart, wiped the - tear of sympathy,' =axed- re
solved, if none else did, I would rear a. hum-.
ble monument to his memory, with, that in
scription upon it. , -
Upon inquiring further,
I found the de
ceased had belonged to the 105th Regiment
Pennsylvania 'Volunteers, had been at our
hospital for a short time and - was present at
my firstvisit, and had sufficiently recovered
to he 'Unloved to the general hospital at the
fort, but had a relapse some days after, and
died. My thoughts it once turned back to
that Sabbath evening. I asked myself,
asked, others, if I had said anything to him
about Christ. I was glad to find that I had
spoken personally to each ene, as,
he. lay in
his bed, on the Subject of death, and an ex
perimental knowledge of the Saviour. If
this should ineet . o:Love of any who knew
him, or loved'hirri, be astuted he met with
friends in sickness, and 'was followed to the
grave by sincere 'mourners at death. - -
Christians, pray for the. soldier;"pray for
the sick soldier; for the dying soldier. , Pray
for, the stricken hearts at home... Chaplains,
to whom God has committed the care of the
Souls- of soldiers, he faithful to, your high
commission, Speak a word to vaeh—to all,
you know not which may be the last.
Eleventh Penna. Cavalry, =Can
ton, Fortress Monroe, April - 7, 1862.
TEMPLE% ON ITONHO-BLOW
AIT earnest preaCher made a Solemn ap
peal to the unconverted at a crowded meet
ing, were the Spirit of God .was moving
many hearts. These words, "All. who go
away unbelieving, go trampling on the l hlood
of Jesus," where aka sharp arrow to the
consciences, of some. One man, who had
been a reputable professer, but not born
again, went away greatly troubled. The
following Sabbath the words-of his minister
drove the arrows further in. After walking
several miles homewards With his wife, who
was also anxious,
he spoke of his ;distress,
and she proposed to have prayer as, soon as
they got home. ".No," he said, "that won't
do. isn't it an awful thing that every step
we are taking we are trampling on the blood
of Christ ?" He would go no further. There
on the roadside they knelt dein to cry to
God. Soon he arose rejoicing in Jesus, and
ever since he has made a manly, consistent,
and•useful profession of being a follower of
the Lamb. His wife's distress was increased,
and next day she, aae, sin -sick soul, unable
to see or trust the Good. Physician, called for
an, elder of the church, and after explaining
the way of peace, he left her it her request
alone with Jane. Returning soon, he found
her countenance radiant with a new joy, and
she too ever since has been - apparently keep
ing her face Zionward:
Reader the blood of the cross has come
near thee in the-Gospel Word; le near that
you have; either plunged into it as an open
fountain. for thy sin-polluted soul, or trampled
on it with unhallowed contempt—so near that
at this moment it has either left the proof of
its efficiency in a cleansed conscience, or the
stain of your crowning crime in its rejection.
The blood of the cross will be the subject of
grateful songs in glory; and the remem
brance. of that blood despised will awaken
many- a bitter wail in the world of woe.
That blood is sure in some way to be con
nected with the, eternal future of every one
us. . •
We'gain heaven '.by the' cross.